Did Wal-Mart expect to lose in Colonie?

Wal-Mart in July received a building permit for $865,577 worth of renovations at its store at Latham Farms. That’s an odd move, since the retailer has been attempting to leave that store for a new supercenter up the road apiece.

The supercenter plan went down to defeat on Tuesday night, after the planning board unanimously decided Wal-Mart’s plan for a big store along Route 9 was incompatible with town design standards.

The Latham Farms renovation, which has already started, suggests that Wal-Mart may have expected to lose, two years after the company first proposed the supercenter. It also suggests that Wal-Mart is committed to staying at the store (pictured above).

It isn’t clear whether or not the supercenter plan is dead. Wal-Mart can still make changes to its application and resubmit the proposal for planning board approval. A call to the Wal-Mart media relations office hasn’t yet been returned. (TU archive photo)

Seems to me that after two years they know the superstore is/was a tough sell.

My belief is the current Latham Farms store reflects two things.
1.) They had already started a nation wide makeover to widen isles and lower the heights for a more spacious feel. Also they announced last year they would be expanding the electronics section in their stores to compete with the likes of Best Buy.
2.) The new floor plan replicates the superstore without the groceries. Get people use to the superstore layout.

As far as the presentation to the town I have little doubt they have spent in the range of $1/2 million on that considering they had to pay for the traffic studies as well as the engineering. My best guess is they knew they wouldn’t get it approved on the first submital (remember it was just a concept plan last night) so they submitted the ideal thing they wanted. The town has now basically given them a list of a number of items that if they correct they would get approval. Walmart recognizes the long lead times for the planning process as well as the long construction time are such that they are years away from opening the doors on a superstore if they decide to move ahead and get an approval…..so the remodeling of the store in Latham Farms makes sense and to me doesn’t necessarily me the superstore is dead with them.

Frankly with the Town in such dire need of tax revenue (don’t we still have a $16 million deficit even after last years Mahan $5 million property tax increase?), I would think the Planning and Economic Dev. Dept. would be working night and day to come up with a workable plan to satisfy everyone’s concerns. The additional sales and property taxes that would be paid by this project would greatly benefit the town, county and school district. Additionally over 150 new permanent jobs would be added. It is amazing to me this administration doesn’t have the creative ability and brain power to resolve this issue to everyone’s best interest.

In a world of compromised property rights you always ask for more, because there is an expectation of compromise, if for no other reason than to justify the existence planning board. So, Walmart is posturing. Remember the Walmart is the boogie man to many. Now the planning board is on record with a denial, this is also posturing.

All along consultants will bill hours, these are the real winners.

So next there will be the appearance that Walmart is making a compromise AND that the planning board is exercising due diligence.

Walmart doesn’t spend a dime without getting 20 cents in return, so that almost $900K renovation must mean at least $2 million for Walmart’s bank in Arkansas.

The Colonie Sign Review Board will soon take up the question of a mega-Walmart sign on the existing building. More advertising, more expense, for a store they want to close? Not hardly.

Taxes? Walmart typically files lawsuits to get its assessments reduced, sometimes by more than 50%, plus refunds of taxers already paid. Just ask the local host communities about their experiences (hint – start in Halfmoon).

Walmart dug its own grave on the Latham project. The local lawyers couldn’t get their stories straight, and their arrogant engineer got really confused between facts and opinions during his testimony. It wouldn’t surprise me if Walmart sued the whole bunch for incompetence and theft of honest services (get it?).

To #3 – how did you come up with 150 new jobs? Walmart’s formal, written application claimed 385 new jobs, then during last week’s hearing the number mysteriously dropped to 85. Their PR person then tried to tell us the existing Latham Walmart had 300 FULL TIME employees. Oooopps! Got that one wrong, too.

When asked about public transit to the proposed Walmart the representative testified that CDTA would provide shuttle service from Latham Farms to the new location. Oooopps! CDTA denied it – IN WRITING!

Traffic? Walmart cooked up a series of plans to “remediate” the traffic in that area to make their store fit, then finally submitted a real beaut to NYS DOT for approval. Oooopps! After months of negotiating with DOT Walmart couldn’t make that one happen, either.

walmart spent (and do not quote me 4.3 million dollars for the remodel..But most of the associates did not even know the grand reopening day until the day of. Walmart has been trying to build a superscenter for about 9 years the town of colonie will not approve it, most of the assocaites do not even want to go to one anyway because there will Not be any new jobs the company is already cutting hours. Haveing associates from other walmart stores come to help out because there is not enough help. latham farms Is not going to be hiring New people this hoilday season why i say?? Because they are tooo Cheap.When The grand remodel took place there was No new empolyee bathrooms Yuck. there was no new cash office location also the regal nail shop was Not open When the Grand Reopening was Held therefore the people and the customers were not too happy.. In the new store map it shows a Game Room But.. there isnt One which doesnt make the kids too happy.The new management Teams doesnt know what they are doing on top of that it is unsatistfiing expirince to have the store managers Framed picture at each Register…and you Can quote me …(JP Day. Store manager if you are Not Satisfied call this number and it gives a cell phone. What if a customer is happy and satisfied about the expirience. That to me is Very negative and that should never be displayed.Also the return policy is a joke ive been in line for plenty of returns an i know first hand that people Can buy things return them worn and used an the same product be returned to the shelfs..Yuck.. To this day i will Never shop at a walmart again unless its @ walmart.com